Patterson shaved his head to avoid leaving DNA evidence behind when he blasted open the door of Jayme Closs' home with a shotgun in October, police said Friday. Patterson's goal was kidnapping Jayme Closs – not killing her parents, authorities added.

"I can tell you the subject planned his actions and took many proactive steps to conceal his identity from law enforcement and general public," Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said.

Where was Jayme found?

Jayme was found in the town of Gordon, Wisconsin, at 4:43 p.m. on Thursday, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Gordon is about 40 miles south of Lake Superior and about 65 miles north of Barron, Jayme’s hometown. The town is home to about 645 people in a heavily forested region where logging is the top industry. During the winter, many homes are left vacant.

How was she found?

Jayme escaped from a home in Gordon, approached a neighbor walking a dog and asked for help. Police said Friday evening they weren't sure how Jayme escaped from the house, but know that Patterson was not home at the time.

The neighbor, retired social worker Jeanne Nutter, said Jayme appeared thin with matted hair, but physically OK.

Nutter took her to a nearby home and banged on the door. Kristin Kasinskas opened it. "This is Jayme Closs! Call 911 right now!" Nutter said. Jayme didn't want anything to eat or drink, but she was cold and wrapped herself in the blanket Kasinskas offered.

Did police capture her kidnapper?

Jake Patterson, 21, was arrested on kidnapping and first degree murder charges after Wisconsin teen Jayme Closs was found alive.(Photo: Barron County Sheriff's Department)

Minutes after Jayme was found, a Douglas County sheriff's deputy spotted a car described by Jayme, and authorities took suspect, 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson, into custody. Police believe he was looking for her.

He faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping.

Authorities said no other suspects were being sought. Patterson is being held, and is slated to appear in court Monday to be formally charged.

Police said Friday they recovered a shotgun from Patterson's home that they believe he used to kill Jayme's parents. They do not think he and Jayme had prior contact, but he was familiar with the city of Barron.

Patterson, of Gordon, had no criminal history and was unemployed, police said.

Neighbor Daphne Ronning said Patterson's parents moved to the home about 15 years ago and that Jake and his brother were raised there. The parents moved to another home once the boys became older, but Patterson and his brother continued to use the home.

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Barron County School Superintendent Diane Tremblay gets emotional as she thanks Jayme Closs for her courage to return home.
USA TODAY

This file photo of an undated image released by the Barron County Sheriff's Department in Wisconsin shows 13-year-old Jayme Closs. Closs was found alive, the Barron County Sheriff's Department announced on their Facebook page on Jan. 10.(Photo: HO, AFP/Getty Images)

Elizabeth Smart calls it a 'miracle'

Elizabeth Smart, an outspoken advocate on kidnapping after her much publicized captivity in 2002 shook the nation, called it a miracle Friday that Jayme was found alive.

Smart posted on Instagram: "What a brave, strong, and powerful survivor!!!! No matter what may unfold in her story let’s all try to remember that this young woman has SURVIVED and whatever other details may surface the most important will still remain that she is alive."

How long has she been missing?

Jayme has been missing since Oct. 15. Around 1 a.m. that day, police received a 911 call that led them to the Closs home, where parents James, 56, and Denise Closs, 46, were dead from gunshot wounds. Jayme was gone and there weren't any solid leads on her whereabouts. Police believed she was at the house when her parents were killed. Hours later, local authorities said the girl was in danger and asked the public for help finding her. An Amber Alert was also issued.